Landing gear switch



Dec- 10, 1963 J. F. MULQUEEN 3,114,012

LANDING GEAR SWITCH Filed Aug. 16, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 )x ff 44 if AIM... T

41; g 20 ac 'J7 2 f 33 C) 1. 2f I? 24 l f4 42 f4 2f Dec. 10, 1963 .1. F. MULQUEEN LANDING GEAR SWITCH Filed Aug. 16. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent Oiice t attesta Patented Dec. lll, 1h53 Y 3,114,012 LANDlNG GEAR SWITCH loseph 1l. ll/lulqueen, Manhattan Beach, Calif., assigner to Northrop Corporation, Beverly Hills, Calif., a coriteration of California Filed Aug. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 49,871 2 Claims. (Cl. 200-6) This invention relates to electrical equipment and more particularly to an electrical switch assembly consisting of a plurality of individual and independently adjustable switches.

Electrical switch assemblies of the type disclosed herein normally include two or moreindividual switches. These individual switches are mounted in a common housing actuated by common means and operate independently of each other in an electrical sense. Quite frequently, in-speciiic installations, it becomes necessary to add additional individual switches to accommodate additional' electrical circuits. Presently available switch assemblies of this type present a troublesome and expensive problem in this respect due to the fact that the entire switch assembly must be replaced by a larger assembly containing the exact number of individual switches required to accommodate the additional electrical circuits. This troublesome feature is eliminated by the switch assembly disclosed herein.

Also quite frequently, in switch assemblies of the type disclosed herein, it becomes necessary to change the operating characteristics of the individual switches. The term operating characteristics as used throughout this specification refers to a change in the angular relation between the individual switches* comprising the switchy assembly and structure actuating the individual switches, Y

in other words a change in the angular relation of the individual switches with respect to associated structure at ysuch times activation and lCle-activation of the individual switches occurs. The switch assembly as disclosed herein incorporates structure enabling features as discussed above to be carried out.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an electrical switch assembly, including two or more individual switches, which can be gang mounted with other identical switch assemblies and actuated by common actuating means.

Another object is to provide an electrical switch assembly, including two or more individual switches, and embodying means enabling the operating characteristics of the individual switches to be changed.

Another object is to provide an electrical switch assembly including two or more individual switches mounted in a common housing and including means enabling the operating characteristics of the individual switches to be changed externally of the housing.

Another object is to provide an electrical switch assembly, including two or more individual switches, including means enabling the individual switches to be activated and tie-activated simultaneously or at dilferent times.`

Another object is to provide an electrical switch assembly which is simple in design yet rugged in construction, economical to manufacture, and which may be readily adapted to any purpose for which it is intended.

Although the characteristic features of the present invention are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the invention itself, also the manner in which it may be carried out, will be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of the switch assembly as disclosed herein, parts of the structure being broken away to show the internal construction thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View of the switch assembly shown in FIGURE l taken along the line 2-2 of the latter figure.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic view illustrating the principle of operation of the switchassembly as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective View showing a plurality of switch assemblies as shown in FIGURE 1 ganged 4 together to provide the equivalent of a single large switch assembly.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES l and 2, in these figures the switch assemblyyas disclosed herein is indicated generally by the numeral 11. The principal components of the switch assembly 11 include a housing 12, shaft 14, a cam member 31, individual switches 16-16, major and auxiliary adjusting means 17 and 2t), respectively.

The housing 12 is of box-like configuration having back and side walls 18 and 19, respectively. The front of the housing is closed by a cover plate 21; provision being made at one end of the housing for the passage of connectors 22 leading to the individual switches 16. The other end of said housing is rounded, however, this being a mere matter of design and it may assume other configurations.

The shaft 14 is pivotally mounted in the rounded end of the housing 12 and issupported in the back wall 18 and cover plate 21by bearing means 23 and 24, respectively. One endy of the shaft projects beyond the cover 12 while the other end thereof terminates in substantially flush relationship with respect to the back wall lilas indicated by the numerals 26 and 27, respectively. The projecting end 26 is externally splined as indicated by the numeral 23 while its flush end 27 is counterbored and internally splined as indicated by the nuprojections 32 and 33 function to confine springs Si) which in turn bias seals 35S and il@ in contact with the bearing means 23 and 2d, the members 35 and itl functioning to provide a seal between the shaft 14 and projections 32 and 33; The projection 33 also provides a bearing surface for an arm 34 on the outer` free end of which the pair of individual switches 1li-1e are mounted. The switches 16-16 are xedly secured to and move with the arm 34 as-the latter is pivoted on the projection 32.

The free end of the arm 3d terminates in a pair of Vspaced Y ing projections 36-36 having bores extending therethrough in a direction normal to the side walls 19.

Positioned in the bores in the projections 36 is a threaded member 57 constituting a component of the above mentioned adjusting means 17. The threaded member 37 extends between the terminates in substantially ilush relationship with the side walls 19 of the housing l2. Located at the ends of the member 37 are sealing means 38 which function to provide a seal between the member 37 and housing l2. Also provided adjacent one end of the member 37 is a collar .39 which is pinned to the member 37 and functions to prevent longitudinal movement thereof at such time as the latter is rotated. The ends of the member 37, are provided with slots whereby rotary movement may be imparted to the member 37 by a screw driver or like tool.

Threadably mounted on the member 37, and positioned between the projections 36 provided on the arm 34, is a cylindrical shaped nut member 4l. It will be seen that upon rotation of the member 37 the arm 34 and the individual switches l-le mounted thereon will be caused to pivot about the cylindrical projection 32 for a purpose to be explained presently.

Pivotally mounted in the housing 12 at a location between the periphery of the cam 3l and the individual switches lo, is the aforementioned auxiliary adjusting kmeans Ztl. The adjusting means Ztl includes Va bar member 42 having a hemispherical projection 43 formed thereon at its midpoint and carries threaded members 44 adjacent each end thereof. The hemispherical projection 43 has a near contacting relation with respect to the periphery of the cam 3l at such times as the cam is being rotated from its centered positon (shown in FIG- URE 1) either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction through an angle a while at least one of the threaded members d4 contacts the trigger element of one of the individual switches I6. It will be seen that the members d4 may be longitudinally moved, by imparting rotational movement thereto, inthe bar member 4Z whereby the individual switches lo may be simultaneously activated and de-activated or their sequence of activation and deactivation may be staggered.

Potting compound 46 is utilized to provide a moisture proof seal between the connectors 22 and housing l2. Inasmuch as seals are provided between the shaft lli, member 37, connectors 22 and the housing l2 the internal components of the assembly ll are protected against dust, moisture, etc.

If additional individual switches 16 are required in a particular installation, for example, to accommodate additional electrical circuits, two or more switch assemblies 1l may be ganged together as shown in FIG- URE 4. The gauging of the switch assemblies 1I is made possible by the splined counterbore 29 and the splined projecting end 26 provided on the shaft I4. Suitable clearance is provided between the splined counterbore 29 and the splined projection 26 providing a snug sliding fit between these components. Thus it will now be seen that the projection 26 of a first assembly 11 may be received in the counterbore 29 of a second assembly 11 and the two assemblies will then function as a unitary unit. In this respect it will also be seen that the means actuating the rst assembly will also actuate the second assembly, etc.

The various components of the switch assembly 1l haveen described a brief discussion of its operation and advantages follows.

` The position of the cam 3l as shown in FIGURE 1 is referred to as the centered position thereof. At this time, also as the cam is moved from its centered position through an angle a (either in a clockwise or counterclocliwise direction), the individual switches i6 are deactivated although a closed circuit is provided through the terminals B-D and F-H as shown in FIGURE 3. Upon rotary movement of the cam 3l from its centered d position through an angle et (either in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction) the individual switches 16 are activated. At the time the switches i6 are activated, circuits through the terminals B-D and F-H are opened and circuits through the terminals A-C and E--G are closed.

It will be seen that the times at which the switches i6 are activated and de-activated may be changed with rcspect to the angular position of the shaft lli, therefore with respect to the means driving the shaft i4, by changing the angular position of the individual switches I6 in the housing l2. This of course is accomplished by rotating the member 37 which coacts with captured nut il to impart angular movement to the arm 34 and individual switches le. It will also be seen that, at such times as two or more switch assemblies Ztl are ganged together, the time at which the switches (mounted in one assembly) are activated and cle-activated need not necessarly coincide with time of activating and tde-activating of switches I6 (located in a second assembly). In other words the times of activating and dta-activating individual switches i6, constituting components of the first assembly Il, may be made to precede or follow the times of activating and de-activating the individual switches 16, constituting components of the second assembly lll, by merely positioning the arms 3d at different angular positions with respect to the housing in which they are respectively located.

In addition to the adjustments just discussed a further adjustment may be made utilizing the threaded members 54. It will be apparent the time of activating and deactivating one of the individual switches le, located in the same assembly lll, may be made to precede or follow the other switch located in the same assembly il. The threaded members dit, however, are normally utilized to synchronize the operation of the individual switches 16 mounted in a switch Vassembly il. This adjustment is made prior to securing the cover plate 21 on the housing l2,

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise a preferred form of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An electrical switch assembly comprising: a housing v having a pair of spaced walls; a pair of tubular projections on said walls; said projections having a coaxial relation and extending inwardly of said housing and terminating in spaced relation with respect to each other; a shaft journaled in said walls and positioned within said projections; an arm member pivotally mounted on one of said projections; a pair of electrical switches mounted on the free end of said arm member for movement therewith and embodynig trigger members; cam means lixedly secured to said shaft at a location between said projections; a bar member pivotally mounted in said housing and having a contacting relation with said cam means and trigger members whereby said pair of switches are activated and deactivated at such time as said shaft and cam means are rotated through a predetermined are; an elongated threaded member located entirely within the outer surfaces of said housing; said elongated member threadably contacting said arm member and having its end portions journaled in said walls and being rotatable to change the angular relation of said arm member and pair of switches with respect to said one projection; and first and second sealing means positioned at the ends of said shaft and elongated member, respectively, rendering their respective fbearing surfaces in said housing moisture and dust proo 2. An electrical Switch assembly as set forth in claim 1: in which said elongated member includes means at each end thereof enabling rotational movement to be irnparted thereto from outside said housing; the respective inside diameters of said projections being greater than the diameter of said shaft whereby cylindrical chambers are deiinedaround said shaft; and spring means mounted in said cylindrical chambers biasing said rst sealing means into firm contacting relation with respect to said walls, shaft and the inside surfaces of said projections.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN ELECTRICAL SWITCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED WALLS; A PAIR OF TUBULAR PROJECTIONS ON SAID WALLS; SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING A COAXIAL RELATION AND EXTENDING INWARDLY OF SAID HOUSING AND TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER; A SHAFT JOURNALED IN SAID WALLS AND POSITIONED WITHIN SAID PROJECTIONS; AN ARM MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE OF SAID PROJECTIONS; A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL SWITCHES MOUNTED ON THE FREE END OF SAID ARM MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND EMBODYING TRIGGER MEMBERS; CAM MEANS FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID SHAFT AT A LOCATION BETWEEN SAID PROJECTIONS; A BAR MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND HAVING A CONTACTING RELATION WITH SAID CAM MEANS AND TRIGGER MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID PAIR OF SWITCHES ARE ACTIVATED AND DEACTIVATED AT SUCH TIME AS SAID SHAFT AND CAM MEANS ARE ROTATED THROUGH A PREDETERMINED ARC; AN ELONGATED THREADED MEMBER LOCATED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID HOUSING; SAID ELONGATED MEMBER THREADABLY CONTACTING SAID ARM MEMBER AND HAVING ITS END PORTIONS JOURNALED IN SAID WALLS AND BEING ROTATABLE TO CHANGE THE ANGULAR RELATION OF SAID ARM MEMBER AND PAIR OF SWITCHES WITH RESPECT TO SAID ONE PROJECTION; AND FIRST AND SECOND SEALING MEANS POSITIONED AT THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT AND ELONGATED MEMBER, RESPECTIVELY, RENDERING THEIR RESPECTIVE BEARING SURFACES IN SAID HOUSING MOISTURE AND DUST PROOF. 